Sixteen Going On Seventeen
by Kyia Star
Summary: Haruka's first kiss happened on the roof of her school. Two shot: MamoruxHaruka; Shi ga Futari wo Wakatsu made, or Until Death Do Us Part.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own _Until Death Do Us Part_ or _Paradise Café_. If I did, Haruka would be older and married to Mamoru, by now. But since that hasn't happened yet, I hope this can suffice. Blame Charlie, my errant plot bunny who wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote this; now maybe I can go back to Dancing Queen. Many thanks to my wonderful beta reader, TitianWren!

Sixteen Going On Seventeen

_I am sixteen going on seventeen_

_Innocent as a rose_

_Bachelor's dandy, and drinkers of brandy_

_What do I know of those?_

--Sixteen Going On Seventeen; Sound of Music.

Haruka's first kiss happened one Saturday when she was sixteen nearing seventeen. And she'd been disappointed with it. Senior Kenichiiro Togashi had called her to the rooftop to confess his feelings for the younger girl. He'd then gotten very bold and bestowed upon the high schooler her very first kiss. It had been a light press on her lips that didn't inspire anything more than the mere thought of _'what was that?'_

Then again, she'd known that sempai would take and give her first kiss, and none of the subsequent ones that would follow. She also knew that the only one whose kisses would mean anything to her would be Mamoru-san's. It was crystalline clear—just as knowing that she would one day marry him. Nearing seventeen, having grown up at his side, and learning more about him with each passing day, Haruka was sure that she loved the blind swordsman, even with the less than stellar points that he had. She hurried back to the house that she shared with Sierra, Igawa, and Mamoru-san, wondering what Igawa-san would speculate when he saw her running back.

………

"Your first kiss?" Sierra asked, her eyes slightly wide with surprise. Then her lips curved into a knowing smile. "And?" she inquired.

"I think what she's trying to ask is 'how was it,'" Igawa supplied, turning to her with a roguish grin.

Sierra rounded on him. "Hey! Don't put words in my mouth!"

"But you were wondering," he said calmly, adjusting his glasses. "I can see it in your eyes. I merely did you a favor and asked for you. So how was it?"

"How was what?" Mamoru asked, finally joining the group.

"Haruka-chan had her first kiss today," Igawa commented, craning his head back to the swordsman.

Mamoru's face went blank and his lips tightened in response. It seemed that the news was not well received by him. And indeed it wasn't. Hearing that the girl he'd looked after and protected for nearly five years had just gotten her first kiss did not make him happy. He felt a slow, burning anger pool into his gut as he thought about it.

"First kiss, eh?" he repeated, his voice unusually quiet. He focused his sightless eyes on her, his glasses feeding to his retinas an outlined image of a mature woman. He could imagine what she looked like now as opposed to her twelve-year-old self. It was probably time to face reality and admit to himself that she was older, now. Walking over to the couch, he lowered himself to the cushions and focused on Haruka again. Sierra looked at Igawa who had a curious expression on his face—the cat that got the canary, she realized. He was quite pleased with Mamoru's reaction.

"And?" Mamoru queried, gripping his cane tighter than usual. "How was it?"

"It didn't do anything for me," Haruka said flatly. "I was rather disappointed, truth be told."

Sierra marveled at the self-satisfied smirk and brief chuckle that came from the normally aloof swordsman. It was strange to see such an expression and it seemed out of place on his normally blank face.

"Pity," Mamoru said at last.

"Yeah, real pity," Haruka replied.

He fell silent, that smirk still on his lips. Good to know that it hadn't been anything memorable other than it being her first kiss. And of course if that boy ever touched her again, he'd be missing a few fingers, maybe a hand.

Igawa hurried to break the suffocating silence that had followed Haruka's reply. "Ah, Haruka-chan, you don't have school tomorrow, right?"

"It's Sunday," she replied, by way of reminder.

"Right, right. Maybe you'd like to go somewhere as Haruka-chan instead of Haruna-chan?" he suggested.

She turned to him, a delighted smile lighting her face up. She usually went places as Haruna-chan and never with Mamoru. "Can I?" she asked eagerly, turning back to Mamoru. She saw him scowling at Igawa. "Please, Mamoru-san? There's a café that all the girls have been raving about and I really want to try it. Please, oh please, Mamoru-san?"

Mamoru felt himself deflate at her tone. It was that tone; the one that let on how lonely she really was; it bore the truth that her smiles concealed. The swordsman knew that if he said 'no,' she would assuredly agree and even stick up for him when Sierra and Igawa gave him hell. When was the last time she'd been able to spend time as Haruka instead of her alias? How sad that he couldn't even remember. Going out and unwinding might be good for her. At the very least, he wouldn't have to hear that _tone_ again for a bit.

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Looks like I'm outvoted. What the hell, why not?"

Haruka squealed happily. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She bounded off to her room, happily removing her disguise as she went.

"Yeah, yeah." He turned to glare at Igawa and Sierra, noting that their 3-D outlines were smiling at him. Mamoru sighed and tipped his head back; he really had been outvoted. He grinned up at the ceiling.

………

That night, Haruka had a nightmare. She bolted upright, a scream fading into the darkness that surrounded her; she gripped the sheets, as if she were using them as a reminder that it had been just a dream, just a dream; it hadn't happened, yet. She listened intently for the sound of footsteps and was grateful when she heard none coming in the direction of her room. Breathing a sigh of relief, Haruka released the sheets and smoothed the crumpled material, mentally cursing her gift for showing her such horrible outcome, just as that passed, she felt a trickle of gratitude to her gift _for_ showing her. Now that she knew, she could prevent it from happening, in the unlikely event that Mamoru-san's instincts couldn't. And she would prevent it—come hell or high water, she would make sure that it didn't come to pass.

She closed her eyes again, slipping into another dream— this one showing what would happen if her first dream didn't come to pass. This time when she opened her eyes, dawn just was starting to announce its arrival in somber grays and pale pastels. Her neck felt sore; it had been craned so far back that her forehead nearly touched the pillow. For the second time, Haruka let go of the sheets, reminding herself that although it was a vision, it was still a dream—it hadn't happened yet. She explored her neck with gentle fingers and felt her cheeks grow warm and an intimate smile curve her lips when she replayed the events through her mind. She pressed her hand to her racing heart, promising that she was going to make _that_ vision come true at all costs. Feeling her eyelids droop again, she settled herself back on the mattress and allowed her eyes to drift shut. There were no dreams waiting for her this time.

………

When Haruka woke up next, the sun was streaming in, bright and warm, in a vibrant display of yellows, gold's, and oranges on her walls. Sierra was knocking on her door and announcing that breakfast was ready and if she didn't hurry, Igawa was going to eat hers for her. Not caring about an appearance that she was going to fix soon anyhow, she darted out of her room to the breakfast table. Finishing quickly, she sprinted back to her room to dress, missing the grins on the faces of Sierra and Igawa.

The café was bustling, Haruka observed, watching the waiters as they served their customers. Her classmates had been right, the wait-staff was comprised of three men and they were all handsome. Well, there was one woman, but she worked in the kitchen, just as they said.

"Welcome to Green Café! I'm Mikami," a cheerful voice greeted. "Do you have a specific server in mind?"

Haruka blinked and looked up at the bespectacled server that smiled congenially at the couple in front of him.

"Umm…" she looked back at Mamoru briefly, who seemed to be ignoring everything around him, including the starry-eyed looks and whispers that the women were shooting in his direction. "You're fine."

"Yes, I am. Thank you very much, my dear. That's very sweet of you to say," he said placidly. Mamoru frowned in his direction, proving that he wasn't ignoring everything after all.

It took Haruka a moment to process what he'd said. When she did, she blushed a brilliant red. "Umm… it's our first time here… so…"

"Really? Then, I'll be your server. Right this way, please." Still nonplussed, she followed Mikami to a table and blushed when he pulled the chair out for her and pushed it back in when she was seated. "I'll be right back."

True to his word, the waiter returned with two glasses of cool water and smiled at both of his clients. "Well, since this is your first time visiting Green Café, I'll let you know now that we're most known for cappuccinos and lattes, along with a wide variety of cakes and other confections." He handed out two menus and gave the gentleman a perplexed look when he didn't take it.

"Sir?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"

Mamoru ignored their server and focused on Haruka. "Order whatever."

"What about you?" she asked.

"It's your day," he said, with a casual shrug; Haruka was thankful that he couldn't see her blush. He looked over at the waiter. "Black coffee," he ordered.

"Would you like the menu, sir?" Mikami asked, offering it to him.

Mamoru aimed a sardonic smirk at him. "And how am I supposed to read it when I'm blind?" he asked.

Mikami blinked. "Eh? Wha--- you?" he stuttered, before he remembered himself. "Ah! Sir, I'm very sorry!" he said, bowing low in apology.

Mamoru focused on Haruka again. "Go ahead and order. Order something for me too, if you feel like it."

"You trust me?" she asked with obvious delight.

"Sure," he said with a bored shrug. "Haven't I always?"

"Yes," she answered promptly. Turning back to their waiter, who was fast realizing that they were probably his oddest customers yet, she smiled warmly. "I'll take a caramel cappuccino to start with. Let me look over the menu, please."

"Certainly." Mikami put away his notepad and smiled at Haruka before casting an uneasy glance at her odd companion. It was unbelievable that he was blind, but now that he thought about it, why would a man that didn't move with a gimp in his step carry a cane? When he first walked in, it had been with such confidence that he'd thought little of the cane. The man moved as if he were simply comfortable with everything—he'd seen martial arts masters move with that sort of grace and self-assurance. Smiling again, he turned and headed to another table when he heard his name called.

Haruka smiled at Mamoru. "I think you scared him."

He gave her another bored shrug. "He'll live."

She certainly hoped so, in any case.

"Well? Are you feeling better?"

Haruka made a face. "You make it sound like I'm a spoiled child," she complained.

He smirked at that, but sobered almost immediately after. "They were worried for you," he said, quietly. "I think Igawa suspected you might be getting depressed always having to pose as Haruna."

"It is tiring sometimes," she admitted. "But—"

"You knew it was going to happen," he said for her.

"No!" she said, glaring. She felt herself melt at his quick grin. "Well, yes, but—that's not the point!" Haruka stuttered, feeling flustered when he smirked at her again. She huffed in annoyance. "I was going to say that I can always be Haruka at home with you guys."

She turned her attention to the menu and pondered what to order. It all looked so good. But she wanted to choose something that Mamoru-san would eat, too. He ate cake, she knew, but she wasn't in the mood for it. She sighed. Decisions, decisions. One caught her eye—it sounded interesting. Haruka knew that Mamoru-san would eat it even if he didn't want it. Spying their waiter returning with their drinks, she smiled.

"Have you decided?" he asked Haruka, setting down their drinks.

"Yes," she announced, pointing to the item on the menu. "Two, please."

"Absolutely. That's a new item; it's been quite popular," he told her, taking the menu back and disappearing.

"What did you order?" Mamoru asked.

"I'm not going to tell you. It's punishment for earlier."

"Oh? Sounds like fun," he teased. "Guess I'll just have to wait and see."

"That you will," she replied archly.

………

She was definitely trying to get revenge on him for something, Mamoru knew. The plate was huge—whatever it was—and she had the largest smile on her face.

"Vanilla crème brulee," she announced proudly, when he looked at the image of the plate skeptically. "It looked interesting and I'm not in the mood for cakes." Haruka picked up the spoon that came with. "Though… I don't think I was expecting it to be quite so large," she said ruefully. "Had I known, I would have gotten one for us to share. Oh, well, there's always next time."

Saying nothing, Mamoru decided to make the best of it. Picking up his spoon, he dug in. It wasn't bad—not too sweet, not too bitter; nice and refreshing, he decided. If this was her revenge, then he could have ended a lot worse; she could have chosen the sweetest thing on the menu for him. He thanked the gods that she seemed more humane than Sierra. Haruka followed his example, chatting about little things, hoping to get a reaction out of the normally austere man. She got one—P.E. in school; he started to question her about it; the conversation made it feel like they were on a real date. Soon, however, she fell silent and looked out the window. A shadow slipped into a dark alley the next block over; another moved to join it and another after. Haruka put her spoon down and pushed her chair back a bit. Mamoru noticed the change immediately and a frown etched itself onto his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, putting his own spoon down.

Haruka glared at the tabletop, angry tears lashing down her cheeks and into the dessert.

"Is everything all right?" their server asked, approaching the table with concern.

Mamoru ignored him. By now, the entire café was quiet; girls whispered to each other speculations about Haruka's tears. The main consensus was that Mamoru had done something to make her cry.

"Hey," the swordsman said, reaching out and putting his hand on her shoulder. She was trembling and it wasn't from her tears—she was afraid of something and angry, too. "What's happening?" he asked.

"I'm sick of my dates with you being ruined," she mumbled.

"Eh?"

Drying her tears quickly, Haruka stood and looked down at him solemnly. "If we go right now, no one else will be involved."

Mamoru's jaw clenched. "Shit," he complained, tossing a generous amount of money onto the table and bolting up. With an odd grace that belied his blindness, he turned to the three servers and looked beyond them to the girl in the kitchen. He fixed them all with a piercing glare. The wait staff shivered. They didn't need to see his eyes to feel the intensity of his look.

"You didn't see us here," he said, his voice quiet, but menacing. "_Any_ of you," he continued, sending the warning to everyone in the restaurant. "And if I find that you did, I'll be paying you a visit. And you all should know that my _ears_ work just fine. Trust me," he commented, slinging his cane to balance on his shoulder, "you all would rather deal with the Yakuza goons than me," he finished with a maniac smile emblazoned on his face.

Then, he was gone, with Haruka hot on his tail. Outside, he grabbed her hand and linked their fingers before dashing away from the café and the remnants of their ruined date.

………

Inside the Green Café, the wait staff and guests slowly began to shake off the paralysis left by the strange swordsman. Masuda and Kikuchi approached Mikami. "What did he mean by 'my ears work just fine?'" Masuda asked.

"He said he was blind," Mikami said, adjusting his glasses.

"What? Blind?" Emi asked, coming out of the kitchen. "No way!"

"So he claimed. And he wouldn't take a menu for that reason. He told the girl to order for him." Mikami turned to the others with a smirk. "He didn't act or move like a blind person, did he?"

"Doesn't matter," Masuda said, spying the men approaching the café and turning to the table where they'd been. "They weren't here, remember?" Sweeping the money off the table, he shoved it into Mikami's apron. "Ring up their order after these men are gone."

The bespectacled waiter gave a sharp nod, having also seen the men.

"Nakazawa-san, please clean the table," he said, turning to his girlfriend.

"Right!" Emi efficiently stacked plates, glasses, and silverware and whisked them off to the kitchen. When she returned, she scrubbed the table thoroughly, replacing the small vase of flowers and votive candle where they'd been.

Turning to the other two waiters, he said, "You two have guests to tend to."

"Absolutely."

"On it."

Taking a deep breath, Masuda reached into his apron for his cell phone, making sure that it was on. Then, he turned to the door, waiting. "Welcome," he greeted jovially. "May I help you gentleman? Did you wish for a table?"

The men exchanged glances and one of them coughed. "Actually, we got the news that this girl might have been seen here just a bit ago," one of them said, removing a picture from his breast pocket and handing it to Masuda.

The waiter kept his face studiously blank as he took the picture.

"She ran away from home a few days ago and was then kidnapped."

_I can't believe that,_ he thought, looking at the out-dated photo briefly before handing it back. "Sorry," he said. "We haven't seen this person before."

"You're sure? Take another look," the man urged, not taking the photo back.

"It's Sunday, sir. I've been here all day. This person hasn't been here."

"How about the other three?"

"They've been here all day, too. Nakazawa-san, have you seen this person today?" he asked, holding up the photo.

Emi shook her head. "I've never seen her before."

"Kikuchi?" Masuda inquired, turning to him. "Seen her today?"

"Nope!" came the cheerful reply. "I'd remember someone that cute!"

"Mikami?"

"Oh! What an absolutely adorable kitten!" he crowed. "Is she coming in sometime soon? I'd love to wait on her!"

Masuda turned back to the men, handing the picture back. "I'm afraid that's that. She hasn't been here today."

"How about this person?" another asked, stepping forward and taking a picture out of his pocket and handing it to him.

Masuda stared at the picture of the blind man that had accompanied her. Now he gave them an affronted look. "Gentleman, this might sound a bit sexist and I apologize if it does, but Green Café caters mainly to _women_. We haven't seen her and we most certainly haven't seen _him_!" he said, shoving the picture back. "And on that note, you've disturbed business enough. Please leave before I call the police!"

Unsatisfied, but unable to do anything more, the men left reluctantly. "Sorry we disturbed you," one apologized, bowing. "But her parents are desperate to find her and the police suspect that he kidnapped her after she ran away. Sounds weird, I know, but what some people won't do for money, right? If you see her, please tell her that her parents are looking for her."

_He's the one that paid, however. I doubt there's money involved in this venture on his part at all!_ "I shall. Good day, gentleman."

The door shut and Masuda waited until they were gone from his sight before letting out a relieved sigh that was echoed by most of the people in the restaurant. Turning, he began to thank their clients for playing along and apologized profusely that they had to deal with that. Then, he walked into the kitchen and found Emi drying the spotless dishes that their customers had used. He felt a rush of love and gratitude for her. Caging her slim body with his arms, he laid his head on her should and inhaled her unique scent. She lowered the plate gently to the counter.

"They were probably Yakuza and after her for something else entirely," he said. "I can't see a girl like that running away from home like they said."

"No," Emi agreed.

"Is it wrong to be more afraid of a blind man than Yakuza thugs?" he queried.

Emi thought about the man in question. She'd seen him only from the kitchen—but blind or not, he gave her a look that seemed to cut right through her. A chill ran down her back just recalling it. His voice had been coarse and menacing. His lips had pulled into a frightening, maniac smile that promised bad things; his walking stick had acted more like a sword than a blind man's cane. She was scared just thinking about him. Stretching her hand a bit, she covered his and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "I think it would be stupid if you _weren't_ afraid of him."

He let out a breath. "Good."

………

Dodging into a narrow alley, Mamoru stopped to give Haruka time to catch her breath. "How many?" he asked.

"Two chasing us from behind, three in front; the five coming from the café," she panted.

Damn. They were being boxed in. Outside the alley lay open area with a high potentiality for getting innocent by-standers involved. Inside the alley, space was limited; their bodies had barely an inch between them. He led her through the alley. Staying meant they were sitting ducks and that was unacceptable. He took her hand again. "We have to keep moving. How long until they catch up?"

"If we go into the third building on the right after this block, it'll buy us a lot of time," she said sagely.

"How much time?"

"Twenty minutes, at least."

He didn't like it, but it was something. With her in tow, Mamoru began to run. Dodging into the building he stopped and frowned when people sitting in various pews looked up at them before continuing on with their prayers. A church. She'd told him to go into a church. What the hell was she thinking, he wondered, glancing at her. He heaved a sigh. If she hadn't told him anything now, he doubted she'd say anything at all. Well, no matter. He had no desire to spill blood in a church, but if worst came to worst… He began to look around for a suitable place for her to hide. There. The confession box. As good a place as any.

He started to approach, but she seized his hand and pulled with all her might. When she was twelve, that only worked when he was surprised; other times, it was laudable, but ineffective. At sixteen, it made a difference. Her sudden tug threw off his balance and sent him careening backwards. Mamoru managed to catch himself before he slammed into her and sent them both crashing to the floor. "What's—"

"Not the confession box!" she hissed, cutting him off.

Straightening, the swordsman frowned at her warning. "What happens if I ignore that?" he asked softly.

He saw her outline raise a hand and pantomime with one finger a throat being sliced. He frowned. Well wasn't that cheery? He ushered Haruka over there anyhow, a plan forming in his mind.

"Mamoru-san?" she asked, when he deposited her into the thick shadows of the outer nave and began to make his way over to the box.

"Quiet!" he commanded. "Stay there."

"But—"

He aimed a smile back at her. "Trust me," he said.

"Okay."

Flicking out a few loud-hailers, he was able to see a lone person sitting in the box, waiting. _He's waiting for me, I'll bet,_ Mamoru thought. If all else failed, have an assassin in every building that he and Haruka could possibly hide in. And of course, it went without saying that he would go in the box first to make sure there were no waiting traps before pronouncing it safe. It was what a good bodyguard did, after all. Stealthily, he approached the clergy side of the box.

"Bless me, Father, for I have sinned," he intoned in a low, menacing voice, before dragging the priest out bodily from his waiting trap. The knife that the priest held clattered to the floor and was kicked away by Mamoru. A parishioner would find it tomorrow after returning from the bathroom and take that as a sign that she shouldn't leave Buddhism, after all.

Holding the struggling priest tightly, Mamoru scanned the inside of the box and marveled at how clumsy but accurate it would have been. A space right where the throat of the victim would be had been crafted into the wood of the confession box, allowing for the removal of a small rectangle. From there, it was an easy task to reach in and slit a throat—so long as you knew the right box. And then, unless one knew what to look for, no one would have been the wiser as to how the priest managed to find a dead body on the other side when he opened the piece meant for him to look through, and no one would suspect the priest, either.

"Slitting people's throats on the side now, good Father?" he asked. "Or is it just my throat you're aiming for?"

The reports that Ian St. George had received about Hijikata Mamoru stated that the man was a true monster that didn't necessarily mind resorting to extreme violence. Mamoru went on. "And here I thought that it was against the Good Book to kill."

Hearing that, and from someone like Mamoru, stung. The priest began to struggle fiercely, trying to get away. Mamoru simply held him tighter.

"How do you intend to make this up to me, priest?" he demanded, his voice silky and dangerous. It sent goose bumps down the old man's spine. "Don't tell me you thought you were actually going to get away with it? Tsk, Father. Maybe," he said, hefting his sword, "I should remove the hand that held the knife? It would serve as an excellent reminder to never hold one with that intent again. That's fair, right? What's this? You don't approve?" he asked, when the priest began to struggle in earnest.

Disgusted, Mamoru dropped the man.

"What will you do?" Ian St. George asked, resignedly.

"I'm going to give you a choice," Mamoru said slowly. "You can choose to have your hand amputated, or you can do your job as a priest and perform a wedding ceremony."

It took Ian St. George a good minute to process the latter half of what the swordsman offered. He'd expected to have to choose between amputation or death. "What? A marriage ceremony? For who?"

"Me."

_Him_, the priest wondered, staring up at the spectacled man. _But who else…_ Haruka shuffled out of the shadows, clearing up that mystery.

"Does this mean you'd rather have your hand cut off?" Mamoru asked, brandishing his sword.

_So be it, then._ "I thought you wanted a wedding ceremony?" the priest asked, pulling himself into a standing position.

Giving a sharp nod, Mamoru sheathed his katana. "Try anything funny and you _will_ regret it, understand?"

"Boy, I've been alive longer than you. How stupid do you think I am?"

"Stupid enough that you'd turn yourself into a killer and debase yourself," Mamoru answered, following the priest.

"Humph. You really _do_ see through to the heart of things, don't you?"

"Guess I do."

"May I ask why?"

Mamoru thought for a moment before replying. "It's the best solution," he said quietly, making sure Haruka didn't hear. "And it gives me the best of reasons."

The old priest's eyes widened and he turned to Mamoru, seeing the man in a new light. He began to wonder how much of the report he'd been given was true.

"What?" came the menacing question.

"I think you've been greatly misrepresented," he said, softly.

"Bah," the swordsman said, disgusted. "Let's go—let's get this show on the road." He stalked past the priest and Haruka scampered after him, glad that she'd taken the time to dress nicely. Mamoru hadn't known how right he was when he said back at the café that today was her day. It was indeed—today was her wedding day.

………

Haruka's second kiss was the following day after her first, sometime in the early afternoon at an impromptu wedding. A slim, gold band slid smoothly onto her left ring finger as Mamoru repeated himself after the priest. Then it was her turn. Their witnesses and only guests watched with starry-eyed wonder. In a daze herself, Haruka heard herself repeating after the clergyman as she slid a heavier, thicker gold band onto Mamoru's left hand. A strange sensation buoyed into her stomach and she watched him with bated breath, gripping his hand tightly.

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride," he told Mamoru.

Mamoru focused on Haruka. "Until death do us part, right?" he asked, as a suspicion filtered into his mind.

"Until death do us part," she agreed, her voice solemn and a little sad.

Leaning forward, Mamoru bestowed on Haruka her second kiss; it was a simple kiss—neither drab nor wildly passionate but tingles traveled up her spine, one right after another and she found herself gripping his jacket for support as she grew weak-kneed. She pulled away not too long after and Mamoru looked at her, confused for a moment, before finally understanding. Their twenty minutes were up.

"Go out the back way," the priest said tersely. "Especially since you're not supposed to be leaving at all. God be with you, children."

Taking Haruka's hand again, the newly wed couple left using the Emergency Exit. And not a moment too soon. The thugs that had been chasing the couple burst into the church, looking around for a captured girl and dead swordsman. It was with great disappointment that the priest informed the men that the two had never shown up in the first place and next time, not to waste his time. The men left grumbling to regroup and plan again. Ian St. George thought that whoever or whatever Hijikata Mamoru had been in the past, he was a different man now, in the present. A smile lit up the old man's face. Having someone to protect could do that.

………

Haruka's third kiss happened when she and Mamoru returned home. Before she could cross the threshold of the house, Mamoru scooped her up and carried her across. Whether he'd meant it as a romantic gesture, or simply thought she'd need the physical support after all that running, she didn't know. She decided to think of it in terms of romance, however.

The house was empty, save for a note from Sierra stating that she and Igawa were out and they would be back later. Sighing, Haruka began to make her way to her room, only to be stopped by Mamoru before she could. He pulled her into his room, instead. To his mind, this was fitting. She was his wife, now. Inside his room, she crawled onto his mattress and made herself at home against the headboard. His previous train of thought from when they'd wed came back to him.

"Did you know that was going to happen?" he demanded.

She hesitated for a second before saying, "Yes. I knew."

"Igawa and Sierra?"

"They knew, yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Haruka clasped her knees to her chest and frowned at him. "What should I have said at the age of twelve? Hi, I'm your future wife. That won't happen for a few more years, but in the meantime, will you protect me from the people who want to use my powers? You'd have dropped me off at the nearest loony bin."

She was right and Mamoru knew it. He'd have never believed an outrageous story like that. Stories like that belonged in shoujo manga for teenage girls with no worries to read. Lowering himself to the bed, he clasped his hands together and lost himself in thought. Her life, he decided, had to completely suck. It seemed painful to him that she'd never been able to experience things like sudden surprise and the joy that came with it. He imagined that if she'd ever had any surprise birthday parties, she had to work very hard to be surprised, seeing as she likely knew it was going to happen. If it concerned her or those connected to her, she knew what would happen. _What must it be like to know that this is what will happen to you, day-to-day; sometimes hour-to-hour, _Mamoru wondered._ To know that these people from an emerging country on the other side of the world would want to use her; to know that a certain company would perform horrendous experiments on her; to know that this person whom you accosted at the age of twelve will one day be the man you marry?_ _If I saw what she saw, I would probably be insane, by now._ In that instance, Mamoru knew that even though he was blind, he had it easier than she did.

Haruka curled up against the wall and rested her forehead on the headboard, waiting patiently for him to speak again. "I can't imagine your life," he said at last.

She smiled sadly. "It's not all bad," Haruka said. "I met you, finally. And Igawa-san and Sierra-san. You guys became my light and gave me something constructive to do with my abilities. That made it more bearable."

He smiled at that. The light at the end of the tunnel. Shifting, he turned to her and caged her body between his and the headboard. She felt a flutter of excitement at his close proximity. "So about that boy who kissed you, yesterday. You knew that was going to happen?"

"Unfortunately," she agreed.

"Well, here's something he should be made aware of. I'm very possessive. Very." Mamoru cradled her face between his hands; he caressed her cheekbones with calloused thumbs, tenderly. "And you're mine, now. Make sure he understands that if he touches you again, he'll lose some fingers."

She nodded. Tipping her head upwards, he gently pressed his lips to hers and waited for any kind of reaction. When a he heard a soft, pleading sound come from the back of her throat, he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss.

It was too much, too fast and she shoved away from him, covering her mouth with her hand. She hadn't expected that! "I'm sorry!" she said quickly, when she saw him frown. "That was my fault!"

"Your fault?" he asked incredulously. "How is that your fault?"

Her cheeks turned crimson. "It was… surprising. I didn't expect it, that's all."

He should have known that. Mentally, he kicked himself for not knowing. He sighed. What had he been thinking? She couldn't foresee everything. He would have to take this slowly, one step at a time. Taking her hands, he placed them on his chest. "If it gets to be too much, push me away. I _will_ stop. I have no interest in forcing you to do something you don't want to do or aren't ready for."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for. I'm the one who should be apologizing—but I'd rather make it up to you."

He kissed her again, gently. Haruka closed her eyes, savoring the contact with him… her husband. A jolt ran down her spine when she realized that she was indeed married to him. When Mamoru felt no protest from her, he deepened the kiss again just a little bit and a little bit more. This time, when his tongue asked for entrance, it wasn't unexpected. He wrapped his arms around her, completely engulfing her petite body in his arms. Her hands slipped away from his chest, breaking the last final restraint. This time it was he who pulled away when her arms wrapped tentatively around his neck, bring them even closer; it was going to go too far if he didn't stop now. She grabbed his shirt before he could remove his arms from her.

"More," she told him, giving him a resolute look that he felt rather than saw.

"Are you sure?" he demanded. "Do you even know what you're asking?"

"Of course I know. And of course I'm sure. And don't ask if I saw this happening," she said crossly.

He blew out a breath. There were, after all, some things that one didn't ask. "I won't," he told her. He kissed her again, his mouth demanding. When only a pleased sigh escaped her mouth, Mamoru pressed her body closer to his, earning himself a small gasp from her. He wrapped her legs around his hips and continued his explorations with his hands and mouth.

"Relax," he said, suddenly, breaking away. "You're too tense." He ran a hand up and down her back, soothingly. "Remember, it's still up to you. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do."

"Sorry," she told him, trying to regain her breath.

"And stop apologizing," Mamoru commanded. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Yes."

"Tell me when."

Dropping her head, the clairvoyant took a few moments to compose herself. Finally, she looked up at him and said, "When."

………

Later, Haruka collapsed in his arms, trying to gain her breath back. She was slightly sore, but, as they said, 'this too, shall pass' and it had been her first time. He'd known that and made every possible effort to be gentle. She sighed and laid her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear. That was a sound that she would never grow tired of.

"Are you all right?" he asked, running calloused fingertips up and down her exposed side. She shivered.

"Yes," she said. "I'm fine." She fell silent for a few seconds before saying, "I'm really, really happy."

"That so?" he asked, grinning.

"Yes."

"Good."

"But I couldn't do anything for you," she told him, soberly.

"Really?" He sounded disinterested in this logic of hers.

She glared at him. "What?"

"Seems to me you do plenty already. You warn me of things to come; you support me; you trust me with your most precious possession. And now, you've decided to stay by my side and married me," he said, tapping her wedding band. "What exactly couldn't you do for me?"

Well when he put it like that… "You're right," she concluded.

"Yes," he said, rolling back on top of her. "I am. You'll learn," he told her, removing his glasses. "So don't worry."

She gently fingered one of the thick scars around his eyes and was happy when he didn't flinch away or stop her. "I won't. Can we start from the beginning?"

"Of course. Because we have until death do us part, don't we?"

"No, we have longer. We have forever," she said, pressing her lips to his.

……….

When Tachibana Haruna walked into school on Monday, everyone knew that she was different; the majority of them didn't know exactly _how_ she was different, they just knew she was. There were a few, however, that knew—maybe they weren't in the same boat, but they'd been on the same bandwagon. Of those who didn't really understand, Togashi Keniichiro had been the first to comment to her that she seemed different, somehow. When he inquired about her answer towards his confession, she smiled regretfully and refused, stating that he'd really rather not date her at all. There were plenty of girls in her class that he could date. Disappointed, he turned away, the epitome of dejection and pity. Haruka watched him go, fingering the gold band that hung on a chain beneath her uniform. Mamoru had insisted that she not wear it at all. What if someone saw it? She, however, insisted upon wearing. Who cared if someone saw? She could always say it was a memento from her grandmother.

_I don't know why Togashi-sempai was so upset,_ she thought, walking over to where Mamoru was waiting. "I refused him," she said, before Mamoru could ask. "He looked so dejected when I told him that he'd be better off dating one of the other girls in my class. He should be happy with those girls," she commented. "They don't have possessive husbands that would gladly remove his fingers. Really, I don't know what sempai's problem is," Haruka complained.

Mamoru smirked and took her hand. "I met you long before he did. The others are waiting. Let's go."

~Owari


	2. Halcyon Days

**WARNING! Sexual content ahead**. Don't read if you aren't mature enough or don't think you can handle it. You've been warned. I apologize for this part being unbetaed.

_I want you to know who I really am_

_I never thought I'd feel this way towards you_

_And if you ever need someone to come along_

_I will follow you and keep you strong._

--Life Is Like A Boat; Bleach ED 1

One of the best parts about being married, Mamoru decided when Haruka's legs snaked around his waist, drawing him deeper into her body, was being able to make love. He moved his hips against hers in a sinuous pattern, delighting in her kittenish cries as he did. Dipping his head, he latched onto one breast and lavished it, making his wife cry out as he did.

Yes, he decided, releasing her breast and seeking out her mouth, he liked married life thus far. Snaking a hand to where their bodies were joined, he found the sensitive bundle of nerves and began to massage it with easy strokes. Haruka's mouth broke from his and her neck arched back as a wanton cry escaped her throat. Her cries turned to gasping breaths and he could feel her muscles start to tighten around him. Reaching out, Mamoru found her hand, grasped it, and tangled their fingers together, fancying that he heard their wedding bands chime in tandem when they met. Together, they flew through a monochrome world, bringing color with them as they did.

Haruka was fast asleep when Mamoru heard the cell phone ring. Snarling, he put on his glasses, slipped out of bed, and went over to the pile of clothes, beginning to search for it. He finally located it in one the pockets of his jeans and flipped it open, pressing it to his ear.

"What?" he growled, wanting to get back to Haruka as soon as possible.

"What's with that greeting?" Juliet's voice tumbled out of the phone in a purr. It didn't help Mamoru's mood and set him on edge.

"What's with you calling so late?" he snapped back, before reminding himself that Haruka was sleeping a few feet away and that he needed to keep his voice down.

"Late?" the infiltrator asked. "It's only ten o'clock. That's early. It's about the time when you would be out crime hunting."

Mamoru made an impatient sound and Juliet gave up her one-sided banter. "Hold on. Tech geek wants to speak to you. Here, _you_ deal with him."

Mamoru imagined that she shoved the phone over to Igawa.

"Mamoru?"

"Igawa," he greeted.

"We just called to let you know that we're at a debriefing in Okinawa. We're sorry we didn't have time to leave much more than a note, but Alpha was pretty intent on us getting here A.S.A.P. You and Haruka were out and we didn't have time to give you notice. We'll debrief you when we're back."

"And that will be when?"

"Should be—hold on, Alpha's calling us all back in now."

"Igawa, when?" As far as Mamoru was concerned, Alpha could go hang himself. It was thanks to him that Haruka had grown worried about their small family.

"Should be sometime tomorrow evening if the debriefing goes as planned."

"Tomorrow then," Mamoru said, snapping the phone shut before Igawa could say more. Sighing, he slipped back into bed and shivered a little at the cool sheets. He remedied that by pulling Haruka closer to him. Taking off his shades, he set them next to the phone and pillowed his head against her chest. Just before he drifted off, he felt her fingers thread themselves into his hair.

Dawn filtered in, gray and somber and Haruka's eyes snapped open. She looked around wonderingly, unable to say exactly what had awakened her. Something… had happened and she wasn't really sure what. The dreary, pre-dawn light wasn't yielding any clues. Sighing, she settled down again allowed her eyelids to flutter shut. That didn't last long. She bolted up in bed again and made to scramble out of it. She had to get everything clean and perfect. She also had to cook something. Igawa-san, Juliet-san, and Sierra-san were coming back today and they'd arrive during the evening. As she worked to disentangle her legs from the sheets, she felt Mamoru's strong arm encircle her waist. She looked down at him and blushed.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" he asked, his voice rough with sleep.

"They'll be back this evening."

"So?" he queried. "It can't be evening yet."

"No, it's dawn, or thereabouts."

Mamoru groaned. "There's plenty of time."

"Yes, but—" She broke off when he lifted her and settled her down so that she straddled him; she gasped when he slid into her.

"Learning time," he said, giving her a wicked smile.

………

Haruka collapsed and tried to regain her breath. At least this time she wasn't sore. Learning indeed. "I don't know if I can put up with your stamina," she complained.

"Are you still in such a hurry?"

"Huh?" she asked, taken off-guard by his question.

"To make sure they're left in the dark just a little while longer?"

Haruka looked at the flat planes of his chest and sighed. It didn't surprise her. He was very perceptive. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "Igawa and Sierra already know that we're going to get married in some conceivable future."

"But they don't know when. You never told them when. You probably didn't know," he mused. "I wonder…were we supposed to get married when we did?"

"It was a possibility," she replied thoughtfully.

"In other words, one of the many routes that could be."

"That's right."

"What were some of the other possibilities?"

"Umm…" Her brow furrowed as she thought. "There's the quote-on-quote "normal" way we could have married, complete with you getting down on one knee and proposing."

"Now there's a scary thought."

"I'll say. That would be unlike you, as well."

"Was I doddering of old age at that point?"

"Nope," she replied, her voice cheerful.

"High on some sort of drug?"

"Well…I can't be sure," she said. "You might have been."

"Other possibilities?" he asked, dismissing that one.

"Me nearly dying. You ordering me to marry you so that you can keep an eye on me at all times."

"Not much different from the current way, that one."

"True. There was the slim possibility of you and I becoming lovers first and marrying later because it was convenient and I was pregnant." Pregnant. That word struck a chord and she frowned. _Impossible,_ she decided, trying to dismiss it and snapping herself back when Mamoru answered her.

"Convenient, eh? How cold of me."

"You asked," she said mildly.

"Are there others?"

"None worth mentioning."

"Out of all those, I'm glad that our scenario happened as it did. At least we had a nice outing before those goons showed up."

"Yeah," she agreed.

………

"We're back!" Igawa called tiredly as he entered the house.

"Welcome back," Mamoru said, not turning away from the television.

"Where's Haruka?" Sierra asked, setting down her duffle bag and looking around.

"Showering," came the terse answer.

"You're angry," the blonde observed.

"Not really. We fended for ourselves quite well while you were gone. Next time, you might want to leave an actual reason, such as, 'called for an emergence debriefing; be back as soon as we can' instead of 'gone out?' Maybe it's just me."

"Definitely angry," Igawa said, walking past him and going over to his workstation. He missed the light glint off the gold band on Mamoru's left ring finger.

"Haruka was worried," Mamoru scolded.

That stopped the three. They shared a look with each other before looking back at the swordsman.

"We're sorry," Sierra said.

.........

Dinner was a nice affair. Haruka had really out done herself upon their return. Their favorite dishes sat on the table, piping hot and delicious.

"So how was your outing?" Sierra asked, taking the bowl of rice that Haruka handed to her.

Haruka smiled. "It was really nice. The café was so cool! It's just as the girls at school said! It's run by three handsome men! Customers choose whichever one they like the best. Since it was our first time there, we were waited on by…Mamoru-san, do you remember his name?"

"Sorry," he intoned, taking a bite of rice.

"And on purpose, I'll bet," Juliet said, aiming a sly grin at the swordsman.

Mamoru ignored her.

"Oh, well. Their cappuccino's were fabulous!"

"You only had one," Mamoru pointed out.

"But that one was really good!"

"Whatever."

"Anything else?" Sierra asked, looking back and forth between the two and wondering about the—dare she think it—playful banter between them.

"The desserts were good," Haruka told them munching on her rice and watching the rest eat. She wasn't hungry. She sighed. She should have known better than to doubt.

"Of significance?" the blonde asked, her patience with the two starting to wear thin. She dismissed their teasing as delusional. Mamoru did not joke with people.

"Nope!" the precog said cheerfully, wondering why they hadn't commented about Mamoru's wedding band. Maybe they hadn't noticed? When she'd mentioned that she wanted to keep it secret for a bit, Mamoru had become opaque; he hadn't exactly agreed to keep their marriage a secret. Then again, he hadn't said anything yet, either. Haruka figured that they were safe for a few days until they noticed on their own. A foolish thought indeed.

………

Haruka looked around her room contemplatively. She hadn't been inside her own room for two days, but it felt like years had passed since she looked upon the frills and pleats of a little girl decorating her room. The décor, she decided, had to change. But it would do for the night. She'd talk to Sierra and Juliet tomorrow about it. Opening a drawer, she bit her lip and drew out a pair of fresh pajamas. She should probably buy something more mature now that she was married. _And pregnant,_ she reminded herself.

"Well? What do you think? Should I buy something less childish?" she asked, looking down at her still flat stomach. Receiving no answer, she gave a small smile. "No comment, eh? Typical. You're probably going to be just like your father," she said, placing her hands over her belly. She'd tried to tell herself that she wasn't pregnant, but she'd woken up the second it had happened. In her mind's eye, she watched the pregnancy progress. Her still flat stomach, grew bit-by-bit as the baby grew within her; there was something decidedly disconcerting about watching her body change in a fast film sequence. Labor was going to be painful—she couldn't tell how long—that hadn't been decided, yet. But Mamoru would be with her every step of the way. The baby would look a lot like her; she would have her eyes, her skin, her bone structure; she would have her father's hair. She gave a soft smile. "I'm a real idiot, aren't I? I should have known better than to say it wasn't so. I was nauseous when I was cooking dinner." She sighed. "You're going to have to go easy on me," she told her stomach. "I don't think I'll fool Sierra-san, but let's keep it a secret between us three, right?"

………

Mamoru had never been in Haruka's room before. He looked at the bed contemplatively, and sincerely wondered how sore his legs were going to be in the morning. Nothing for it, he decided. If she couldn't be in his bed, then he would be in hers. He slipped in beside his wife, waking her instantly.

"Mamoru-san," she yelped, trying to scoot over and give him more room. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice hushed.

"I'm not allowed to be with my wife?" he asked, teasing her earlobe and starting to unbutton her pajama top.

"Stop that," she hissed, trying to draw away. The wall at her back prevented her from getting very far and he continued, unperturbed.

"Why?" he asked, trailing scant kisses down her neck. "I'm your husband; you're my wife."

"We agreed to keep that secret," she said.

"I never agreed to it. Besides, I'm not doing this in front of an audience."

"But you didn't say—" She broke off and moaned when his mouth found one of many sensitive spots and began to tease it. "You didn't say anything, though," she panted; she'd already stopped trying to resist.

"That's true," he said, listening to her breathy cries with each spot. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to keep myself away from you, either." He grinned when her fingers fisted in his hair. "What do you want me to do?" he whispered, trailing his mouth down her body.

Her harsh breathing was the only thing he heard for a second. "Lower," she rasped.

"Lower?" he asked, kissing the spot above where his mouth had been. "Like that?"

"That's… that's reverse. Lower."

"Here, then?"

"Lower still."

"Hmm? Here?"

"Farther!"

"Here?"

Her cries were all he needed to confirm.

Sierra pushed herself away from the wall where she'd been leaning. It had been sheer coincidence that she'd left the bathroom the same time that Mamoru had ferreted himself into Haruka's room. Concerned, she'd crept over to the door. She couldn't make out the low murmuring words that he spoke to her; or the quiet replies she'd made, but the sounds following had been unmistakable. Sierra couldn't say that it was unexpected. Haruka had told Igawa and herself that she and Mamoru would one day be married. Becoming lovers first wasn't so bad.

………

_But,_ Sierra thought frowning at the simple gold band strung on a chain, _they're not just lovers. They're married, now._ The basket of laundry that she'd come in to pick up dropped back to the ground and she stepped over to the dresser, snatching the ring from where it sat. _What is the meaning of this! What really happened Sunday? How long have they had this planned? Was Mamoru just waiting for us to make him spend a day with her before dragging her off to get married? _Sierra could see that actually happening and it made her angry. No, angry wasn't the right word—she was absolutely enraged. _We knew they were going to get married. Haruka said as much. But she never did say when, why, or how! This, however, is too much! She's too young! And he's taking complete advantage! _

Determined to find out the truth, she shoved the ring into her pocket, picked up the laundry again, and exited the room. "Have a good day!" she called to the precognitive girl who was scrambling into her shoes.

"I'm off! I'm late!" Haruka responded, dashing out of the house.

Mamoru was nowhere in sight. Sierra expected that he was out back practicing. Narrowing her eyes, she started the laundry machine, before going over to Igawa and tapping his shoulder to get his attention.

The technician blinked at her owlishly and lifted the headphones from one ear. "Sierra? What's up?"

"I need to talk to you," the blonde said, motioning for him to leave the car and come with her.

"What's up?" he asked, following her to the laundry room. "You're not going to beat me up for something are you?"

She pulled the band and chain from her pocket and shoved it into his face. He put up his hands in surrender. "Hold it. I don't think I'm your type," he protested. "And besides," he said, wrinkling his nose at the slim band, "that's the girl's ring."

"Idiot!" she hissed. "It's not mine!"

"It's not? Juliet's then?"

"Haruka's!"

Igawa's hazel eyes went wide. "Haruka's?" he echoed.

Sierra nodded, her mouth turned down into a vicious frown.

"Then it's safe to assume that Mamoru's the groom."

"Oh, yes. He snuck into her room last night! I can't believe they didn't tell us about this!"

Igawa compressed his lips into a thin line. Truth be told, he wasn't very pleased with this revelation, but he knew that if he didn't stop Sierra now, it would probably lead to violence. Sierra respected Mamoru, but she wasn't terribly fond of him as a person. "You know, I don't think they kept it secret because they didn't want us to know; I think they kept it secret because they knew that tired as we were last night, the shock might have been too much."

Sierra said nothing.

"And I hate to say it, but another reason could be because Haruka knew you would freak out. We all know that while you hold Mamoru and his skills in high esteem, you don't really like him, and you disapprove of him for Haruka. "

"Like he cares."

"Why should he?" Igawa asked. "It's really not your place to say anything, you know. It's not my place to say anything either."

"This doesn't bother you?" the blonde Wall member demanded, dangling the ring in front of him.

"What? That they're married, or that they didn't tell us?" He batted the ring away. "Not being told bothers me, yes. But you and I knew that they would marry at some point, didn't we? After all, Haruka mentioned it to us when we were at Ex-Solid's research laboratory," the technician said. He broke off when the door to the back opened and Mamoru walked inside, sword-cane in hand. He gave them a weird look before slipping off his shoes, donning the slippers he'd left by the door, and shuffling upstairs. When Sierra made to go after him, Igawa stopped her. "Don't. Now's not the time to confront—it'll just end badly if you do. We'll talk to them later, when Haruka's back. We'll get the full story, then."

He was right and she knew it. That did nothing to quell her rage, however. Sierra stomped off in a huff and Igawa moved aside to let her pass. The techinician stayed in the laundry room for a few moments, listening to the lulling hum of the washing machine. Sighing, he turned and made his way back to the Astro and resumed his work on it, turning over the news that Haruka and Mamoru were married. His words to Sierra had been aimed to calm the irate woman. Truthfully, Igawa wasn't sure how to feel about the news now that it had definitely come true. On the one hand, it made him smirk—Haruka had been right again. On the other hand, Haruka had become very much like a little sister to him. The precognitive girl would never replace the sister he'd lost, but she was a rather good substitute. He'd acknowledged long ago the overprotective, brotherly feelings he'd gained for their precognitive charge and allowed them to stay.

And now she was married.

Did that make him Mamoru's brother-in-law? Technically, Igawa assumed so and the thought of being a brother to Mamoru freaked him just a little bit. But he couldn't simply view Haruka as a sister and Mamoru as an interloper, because Mamoru wasn't. Haruka had sought out Mamoru, not his technical partner. If anyone was the interloper, Ryotarou reminded himself, it was himself… and the other members of the Elements Network. Still… Haruka was married. He knew it was going to happen at some point, but it was so soon! Or was it, he wondered. Maybe it wasn't. Igawa sighed. What did it matter? It was done; they were married.

And after marriage came children.

He started so violently that he hit his head. Oh, dear gods. Mamoru as a father. Now that was a scary thought. If that happened, he hoped that Haruka would give them all ample warning so the shock didn't kill them.

………

The bell rang finally, dismissing the students for the rest of the day. Hurriedly, Haruka stuffed her things into her school bag and darted off, stopping only to change her shoes. She ignored the people that asked her what her rush was—it wasn't like she lived too far from the school. She didn't answer them, either. She had to get home and find it! It had to be there! Since her marriage to Mamoru a few days ago, that ring had become a very important presence in her life. It was the only proof that she wasn't living in a fantasy or delusion. When she couldn't feel its weight around her neck, she got nervous. Darting inside the house, she slipped off her shoes and into her slippers.

"I'm home!" she called out, racing up the stairs towards her room.

"Welcome back," Sierra called. She waited until the girl was upstairs and in her room before getting off the couch and following her.

Bursting into her room, Haruka went over to her dresser and began to search it frantically. It had to be here! She hadn't put it on after her shower this morning. It… she clasped a hand over her mouth to ward off a sudden spell of nausea.

_Not now! Didn't you make me suffer enough at school? Just let me find my ring. Where is it? I can't find it!_ Straightening, she left her room. In her haste to see Mamoru, she didn't pay any mind to Sierra, who stood at the top of the stairs, watching her.

"Mamoru-san!"

Her husband blinked at her unexpected intrusion. "Welcome back," he said calmly. Capping the sword oil, he sheathed the blade and laid it across his lap. "How was your day?"

She ignored his question. "Mamoru-san, it's gone! I can't find it!"

"Can't find what?"

"Are you looking for this?" Sierra asked, withdrawing the band and chain from her pocket and holding it up for them to see.

Relief evident on her face, Haruka reached for the ring. She froze when the nausea returned with a vengeance. Sierra watched curiously as the precognitive girl's skin turned pale.

"Excuse me," Haruka said weakly, darting to the bathroom.

Mamoru stood quickly and placed the sword against the bed. "Haruka?" he called, following her.

Sierra frowned. "What an unexpected development," she muttered, turning and following the swordsman. The realization that Haruka was pregnant didn't help her temper towards the swordsman. "Don't bang on the door like that," she admonished the kenjutsu master. "You'll only add to her anxiety. She'll be fine; come downstairs."

When Haruka finally vacated the bathroom, Sierra insisted that she come downstairs to the living room, promising the precognitive girl that she could rest soon. Taking a seat next to her husband, they waited for Sierra to speak. Haruka surveyed the crackers that sat next to Sierra with mounting dread. She knew she wouldn't have been able to fool Sierra. She sighed—not much she could do about it. Mamoru sat stoically beside her, but she could feel the concern that he exuded.

Sierra frowned, taking in Haruka's ashen skin. She certainly hoped this would be an easy pregnancy for her, but knowing the father of the baby, she highly doubted it. She sighed. _Poor girl._ "Well?" she asked, when Igawa and Juliet had joined the group. Sierra handed the wedding band back to Haruka. "I think we deserve the truth, don't you? It's obvious that you're married. So why don't you tell us what happened on Sunday?"

Taking the ring back, Haruka slipped it off the chain and placed it on her finger. No point in not wearing it. Hesitantly, the precog began to recount the day. "It really did start out nicely. But while we were eating, some goons found us." She frowned. "I didn't want anyone injured on my account, so I told Mamoru-san that if we left then, no one would be injured. So we left and we ran. When we stopped to catch our breath, I told him that if we ducked into a building not too far from where we were, we could gain some time."

"It was a church," Mamoru stated, plainly. "She then told me not to go into the confession box because an assassin was there, lying in wait. Turns out that it was the priest, with a knife—" he broke off when Juliet let out a snort of laughter.

"Sorry," she said, "It's just the way you said it… it reminded me of Clue. Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick. Sorry, sorry. Go on."

Mamoru shrugged. "Not much more to tell. I gave the man an ultimatum. He could choose between an amputation or performing a marriage ceremony. Three guesses on which he chose," he commented, glancing down at Haruka when she slipped her hand into his. Giving a small smile, he curled his fingers around hers.

"So he married you and Haruka," Igawa said, hoping his face didn't betray his shock at the intimate action he'd just witnessed. "What prompted you to marry her now?"

Mamoru didn't answer right away. Finally, "I was sick of being just a bodyguard all the time. I… wanted something more."

"Are you saying that you wanted to be more to Haruka?" the technician asked, adjusting his glasses, as if he were trying to see the real truth.

"So what if I am?" the swordsman challenged.

"Then congratulations," Sierra said, her temper dissipating. She couldn't do anything about it, so she might as well be there for support. "Here," she said, handing Haruka the crackers.

The blonde's actions confirmed Haruka's suspicion. Resignedly, she took the crackers and put them next to her.

"It'll sit better with your stomach. You know you're pregnant, don't you?"

The serious look on Haruka's face told Sierra that the girl was definitely aware. She nodded, a quick, concise bob of her head to acknowledge that Sierra was correct.

"What?" Igawa asked, shocked. Their little Haruka was pregnant? He looked down at her stomach and then looked back up to see Sierra glaring at him.

"She's not going to show just yet. She can't be more than a day along."

"One day and seventeen hours. Approximately," Haruka commented.

Mamoru's hand tightened on hers as the news finally sank in. "Are you really?" he asked, his heart hammering madly in his chest. He wasn't sure what he would do if he found out that this was a joke.

"Yes," she said softly.

"When—?" he asked.

"I suspected around dawn yesterday morning."

"Why didn't you say?"

"Because I wasn't certain. No, I was, but I doubted."

Mamoru leaned down, kissed her hard on the mouth, and rested his forehead against hers. "What will it be?"

"A girl," she told him.

"You're going to have a girl?" Igawa asked, his voice edging on the hysterical.

Juliet watched the commotion in front of her with silence. Part of her rejoiced with the rest of them at the wonderful news. The other part, however, was none-to-pleased. Her 'jokes' with Mamoru had only been half-teasing. Her offers had only been half joking. She'd secretly hoped that he would take her up on her offers at some point. It would have been a good fling—especially since she couldn't have children. It would never be, however. Her eyes slid over to Haruka and offered the oblivious girl a mild glare, before it melted into a smile.

_Oh, well,_ she decided. _Easy come, easy go. He's not the only man around._ She stood. "I'm sorry to ruin the moment, but we do have to let the Network know."

Silence dawned at her announcement and it became nearly suffocating.

"We don't have to just yet, do we, Juliet?" Sierra asked, finally.

Juliet opened her mouth to say that they did, because it was protocol, but she never got the words out. The look on Sierra's face said it all: leave it be for now. She sighed. "What the hell. I guess not. Who says the halcyon days have to end?"

The blonde woman smiled at her associate. "That's the spirit!" She turned back to Haruka. "Well, I guess we might need new furniture. You're not thinking of keeping your old room, right? You're married now."

"What do we do with her room, then?" Igawa asked.

"Assuming we're still here when Haruka has the baby, it'll become the nursery. Since the two rooms are so close together, we could probably break down the wall and join the two rooms together."

"That would be a good idea. That's what Kilo and I did," she said, her voice sad.

"Then we should start planning the room now, so it's perfect for the baby. We can let the men do the painting. Cribs, carriers, strollers, clothes… The Wall will have to throw you a baby shower," Juliet told Haruka. She looked at Sierra. "What?"

"Let's get Haruka to a doctor in the Network, first. One that will keep things confidential?"

"Good idea," Igawa said, joining the discussion.

Mamoru rolled his eyes and stood, bringing Haruka up with him. "Let's go. They're going to be at this for a while. I want to be alone with you." That said, they slipped upstairs, leaving the other three to plan things out. "I'll have to be careful, from now on," he said.

"I'm pregnant, not an invalid. And don't you start treating me like one, either!"

"They don't even know if we'll be here tomorrow, but they're already making plans," Mamoru said contemplatively, sitting down on the bed and looking up at her.

"We will be. Tomorrow, the day after, nine months later… we'll be here. Our daughter will be born here, in this room."

This room-- the one where she was conceived. There was a lot of symbolism in that, Mamoru decided.

"That so?" he asked, putting his hand on her stomach and spreading his fingers to cover the small expanse. He fancied that he could feel the baby inside her already. She put her hands over his and Mamoru sighed. Really, this day had a very unexpected ending. More to the point, the entire week had been unexpected. First married and now pregnant. What next, he wondered. He kept his hand against her stomach, caressing the still flat planes gently.

He wondered who the baby would look like—him or Haruka. He hoped the baby looked like her. He then reminded himself that it really didn't matter because he wouldn't be able to see any details. Would it—she, he reminded himself, she—be interested in learning swordsmanship? Or would she have an interest in something different? It really was too bad that he didn't know what the future held like his wife. As if in response to that thought, Mamoru caught a glimpse of something. He was standing outside observing a fair-haired little girl work with a shinai. He called out something and the child responded, diligintly carrying out the command. The clarity of it left him shaken and he knew one thing for certain: this child of theirs would have her mother's talents. Was that Haruka's premonition, or was that their unborn child showing him that vision? Did it matter? That had been their child. Mamoru felt a smile tug at his mouth and his hand shifted to her waist and drew her closer. He pressed a kiss to her stomach. "Hello little one," he said, resting his forehead against his wife's stomach. "I'm your father and like your mother, I can't wait to meet you. But until we do, I want you to be good for your mother, all right? Because she's going to work very hard for you. No, we're both going to work very hard for you. So you just take it easy and treat your mother gently."

_Nine months later:_

Mamoru paced the hallways of the house, his steps growing more and more agitated with every cry that his wife omitted. The male Wall members were watching him like hawks to make sure he didn't storm up the stairs and into the room where Haruka was going through labor.

Emitting an angry snarl, Mamrou turned to the other men. "How much longer?" he demanded.

Kilo shrugged. "Depends."

"What the hell on?"

Kilo looked up stairs at the closed door. "There's a lot we don't know. Now stop."

"She sounds like she's dying up there!"

"She's not," India said, resisting the urge to rub the spot between his eyes where a headache was forming. "Labor is a painful process, but Haruka's in good hands. Just be patient."

"How much longer?" he asked again.

Kilo growled in frustration. "We don't know. Now sit down!"

"It can't last much longer. Haruka can't handle that."

"Yes, she can," India said, soothingly. "Women have a different kind of strength from men. They also have a larger threshold for pain. My wife was in labor for nearly thirty-eight hours before the baby decided to finally come."

Kilo turned to his teammate, surprised. "Wow. Were they thinking of doing a Cesarean Section on her?"

"Yes. But she wouldn't let them."

"Brave woman."

"And a bit foolish. How about Sierra?"

"Hmm… Cindy was a short labor. Sixteen hours."

"Sixteen? Sierra must have been grateful for that."

"I don't think she cared, either way. She just wanted to hold Cindy instead of carrying her."

"I'd imagine so."

"Sixteen hours?" Mamoru repeated, looking at Kilo. "Thirty-eight?" he asked, staring at India.

Alpha sprang up. "Okay, enough pacing. You just went bone white," he said, forcing Mamoru into the closest chair.

He didn't stay seated for very long. One particularly painful screech, a whooping cry, and a newborn's wail had Mamoru out of the chair and sprinting for his room. He didn't care that he wasn't supposed to enter on strict orders. He threw open the door to his room and charged in.

"What is it? What happened? Is Haruka still alive?" he asked, looking at the outlines of Sierra and Juliet.

"Of course she is!" Sierra snapped, tossing him a withering look.

He turned to the bed and went over to his wife. His retinas got the image of Haruka reclining on the pillows. But Mamoru didn't need to see to imagine that she was probably exhausted. Still, at his approach she opened her eyes, smiled beatifically, and held out the small bundle for him to take.

"Look, little one," she cooed. "That's your father."

Ignoring the baby for a second, he leaned over, kissed Haruka tenderly. Then he turned to the baby. "We finally meet at last. You'd better be ready to start training, because as soon as you're able you're going to learn how to defend yourself—" He was cut off by Sierra slapping him upside the head.

"Idiot!" she hissed. "She's only a few minutes old! Don't say things she won't understand!"

Taking the baby from his wife, he held her close and gazed down. From the outline, it seemed that the baby was looking up at him with curiosity. "She understands," he told them, offering the baby his index finger. Curious, the baby reached up and grabbed it, holding onto him with a surprising strength that sent a bolt of shock right through Mamoru. "It's already in her blood. Go away, both of you," he said dismissing the two. "I want to be alone with my wife and daughter."

Bristling, Sierra made to refuse, but started when Juliet grabbed her arm and hauled her out of the room. She rounded on the infiltrator the second the door shut behind her. "What was that for?" she hissed.

"Would you rather he forcibly kicks you out?"

"No," Sierra said, after a moment.

"Then let's let the new parents be alone for a bit." Juliet walked down the stairs to the other men who looked at her expectantly. She smiled at them. "A healthy baby girl. Six pounds four ounces. Looks a lot like her mother, has her father's hair."

A cheer went up.

"What's the baby's name?" Alpha asked.

Juliet looked up the stairs again. "I think they're deciding that right now. Let's see what we can find for take out. Haruka's probably starving."

"Liar," Sierra said. "You're the one that's hungry."

"Blurt it out, why don't you?"

"Didn't I just?"

………

"How do you feel?" Mamoru asked.

"Exhausted. Exhilarated. I just had a baby!"

"You just performed a miracle," he agreed, sitting down next to her and giving her the baby back. Reaching out, he stroked her sopping bangs from her forehead.

"I did, didn't I? I'd like to see _you_ do this."

"Umm… no," Mamoru said, feeling faintly ill.

Haruka giggled and shifted a bit to give the baby better support. "What are we going to name her?" she asked, gazing lovingly at their daughter.

"What if we named her after Sierra's daughter?" Mamoru asked.

"Sierra made me promise we wouldn't. She said it wouldn't be fair to have such a memorial hanging over our daughter's head."

"I'm drawing a blank on names, then. I never expected I'd ever have to name a child in the first place."

"You never expected to fall in love or get married, either."

"That's also true," Mamoru said, his voice careful. "And now here I am, married with a newborn. I can't quite process it."

"You will."

"I know. I know she has your abilities. Will she have mine?" he asked.

Haruka grinned tiredly. Of course he would ask. "She'll be a very accomplished swords master, if you decide to teach her."

"I've already decided to. What about the name Kaneko—written with the Kanji for 'double achievement?'"

"Doubly accomplished. Yes, I think it suits her well. What do you think, little one?" Haruka asked, holding her daughter up. "Do you like 'Kaneko?'"

The baby gurgled in response.

"It's settled! Kaneko you are. Let's go greet the rest of your family, Kaneko-chan."

--Fin.

A/N: And that definitively concludes _Sixteen Going On Seventeen._ I personally think that Mamoru was terribly out of character in some places, but every time I tried to change him, he stubbornly refused. Oh, well. C'est la vie, right? As for the baby's name, I have no idea if that's what the name really means, or if it's even a plausible name. I'd love to link the site, but doesn't want to allow me to do any coding.


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